The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 1,202 new cases of COVID-19 and 60 new deaths due to the virus countywide, and a total of 1,681 cases reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since the pandemic began, 79 more than reported Monday.

In the SCV, 20 people have died of the virus to date — 16 resided in the city of Santa Clarita, 1 in Acton, 1 in Castaic, 1 in unincorporated Valencia and 2 in communities not yet named.

Countywide, Public Health has reported 57,118 positive cases of COVID-19 and a total of 2,443 deaths as of Tuesday.

Ninety-three percent of people who died in L.A. County had underlying health conditions.

Statewide, California had 115,310 total confirmed cases and 4,286 deaths from COVID-19 as of May 31. There were 3,038 confirmed hospitalizations and 1,054 ICU hospitalizations.

Health Care Worker Infection Rates
As of June 2, local health departments have reported 10,161 confirmed positive cases in health care workers and 61 deaths statewide.

Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday Update
Of the 1,681 cases reported to Public Health for the SCV to date, the community breakdown is as follows:

City of Santa Clarita: 785

Castaic: 755 (includes Pitchess Detention Center and North County Correctional Facility)

Canyon Country (unincorporated portion): 40

Stevenson Ranch: 35

Val Verde: 27

Acton: 11

Valencia (unincorporated portion west of I-5): 9

Agua Dulce: 9

Saugus (unincorporated portion): 4

Elizabeth Lake: 3

Bouquet Canyon: 1

Lake Hughes: 1

Newhall (Unincorporated portion): 1

Henry Mayo Tuesday Update
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital reported its 9th and 10th COVID-related deaths on Wednesday, May 27, both occurring in the preceding 36 hours, according to hospital spokesman Patrick Moody.

As of Wednesday, May 27, the last day when numbers were released, of the 1,555 persons tested at Henry Mayo to date, 208 tested positive, 1,289 were negative, 42 were pending and 9 patients were hospitalized in a dedicated unit receiving ICU-level care. A total of 73 COVID-19 patients have been discharged so far. Ten of the SCV’s 20 fatalities to date have occurred at the hospital Moody confirmed last week.

Discrepancies in the testing numbers are due to some patients being tested more than once, he said.

The hospital is now releasing numbers on a weekly basis (Wednesdays), unless there is a drastic change in the number of cases or a death has been confirmed.

L.A. County Demographics
Countwide, 40 people who died were over the age of 65 years old; 17 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Forty-five people had underlying health conditions including 31 people over the age of 65 years old, 13 people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach.

Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 2,258 people (99 percent of the cases reported by Public Health) 41% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 28% among White residents, 17% among Asian residents, 12% among African American residents, 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 1% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 52 cases and one death reported earlier were not L.A. County residents. As of today, 6,638 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (12% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There are 1,389 people who are currently hospitalized, 27% of these people are in the ICU and 18% are on ventilators. Testing capacity continues to increase in L.A. County, with testing results available for over 633,000 individuals and 8% of people testing positive.

“Each day, we are thinking of the many people who have lost their loved ones to COVID-19. We are deeply sorry for your loss, and we wish you peace through this very difficult time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We urge everyone, including the people across our community who are engaging in protest, to please care for each other by practicing physical distancing as much as possible and wearing a cloth face covering when around other people. These actions are important in preventing many more cases and hospitalizations from COVID-19. These actions can save lives.”

Public Health joins the many voices expressing dismay, anger, and frustration at the murder of George Floyd by police, and supports the need for L.A. County residents to stand together against racism and violence. Because we are in the midst of a pandemic, everyone engaging in peaceful protest should always wear a face covering securely over their nose and mouth and keep six feet apart from others not in your household. Protestors who have had close contact with non-household members not wearing face coverings, should when possible, self-quarantine at their residence for 14 days and monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms. If they develop symptoms, they should call their healthcare provider and consider testing.

The current Health Officer Order, Safer at Work and in the Community, allows for in-person dining at restaurants and hair salons to reopen once the establishments are able to implement the required distancing and infection control directives. The Health Officer Order specifically requires businesses to follow the COVID-19 infection control protocols. As such, restaurant and hair salon owners and operators must complete and implement these protocols prior to reopening. Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries, and wineries that do not offer sit-down, dine-in meals are still required to remain closed. Higher-risk businesses remain closed.

The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

The best protection against COVID-19 continues to be to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing, and wear a clean face covering when in contact with others from outside your household. People who have underlying health conditions remain at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for the County’s vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible, to have groceries and medicine delivered, and to call their providers immediately if they have even mild symptoms.

California Demographics
Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories.

For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but there is nearly a four-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends.

More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

Testing in California
As testing capacity continues to increase across the state, the California Department of Public Health is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing. Testing should be used for medical evaluation of persons with symptoms of COVID-19 as well as for efforts by public health agencies and essential employers to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Individuals prioritized for testing include:

– Hospitalized patients

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers, first responders, and other social service employees

– Symptomatic individuals age 65 and older or symptomatic individuals of any age with chronic medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness

– Individuals who are tested as part of disease control efforts in high-risk settings

– Asymptomatic residents and employees of congregate living facilities when needed to prevent disease transmission

– Symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in essential occupations such as grocery store and food supply workers, utility workers and public employees

– Other individuals with symptoms consistent with COVID-19

As of June 1, 2,071,591 tests have been conducted in California and reported to the California Department of Public Health. This represents an increase of 59,008 tests over the prior 24-hour reporting period.

These numbers include data from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the the 25 state and county health labs currently testing.

New Data Portal
The state has launched a new, user-friendly data portal at COVID-19 Statewide Update that tracks COVID-19 cases statewide and by county, gender, age and ethnicity. The portal also outlines statewide hospitalizations and testing efforts. The data presented on the portal will be updated daily and will include additional information as it is available.

Racial Demographics – A More Complete Picture
The California Department of Public Health is committed to health equity and collecting more detailed racial and ethnic data that will provide additional understanding for determining future action. Health outcomes are affected by forces including structural racism, poverty and the disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions such as asthma and heart disease among Latinos and African American Californians. Only by looking at the full picture can we understand how to ensure the best outcomes for all Californians.

The differences in health outcomes related to COVID-19 are most stark in COVID-19 deaths. We have nearly complete data on race and ethnicity for COVID-19 deaths, and we are seeing the following trends. Overall, for adults 18 and older, Latinos, African Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are dying at disproportionately higher levels. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in African Americans is about double their population representation across all adult age categories. For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, overall numbers are low, but about three-fold difference between the proportion of COVID-19 deaths and their population representation. More males are dying from COVID-19 than females, in line with national trends. More information is available at COVID-19 Race and Ethnicity Data.

Your Actions Save Lives
Every person has a role to play. Protecting yourself and your family comes down to common sense:

– Staying home except for essential needs/activities following local and state public health guidelines when patronizing approved businesses. To the extent that such sectors are re-opened, Californians may leave their homes to work at, patronize, or otherwise engage with those businesses, establishments or activities.

– Practicing social distancing.

– Wearing a cloth face mask when out in public.

– Washing hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.

– Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

– Covering a cough or sneeze with your sleeve, or disposable tissue. Wash your hands afterward.

– Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

– Staying away from work, school or other people if you become sick with respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.

– Following guidance from public health officials.

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

– Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

– California Department of Public Health

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

– Spanish

– World Health Organization

L.A. County residents can also call 2-1-1.

What to Do if You Think You’re Sick
Call ahead: If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough or shortness of breath), call your health care provider before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. More than 85 community testing sites also offer free, confidential testing: Find a COVID-19 Testing Site.

For more information about what Californians can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance webpage.